In the Eastern Mediterranean, recent confrontations over the rights to drill natural gas have threatened to reignite conflict between Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. This conflict emerged after Cyprus’s independence in 1960 and was complicated by international interventions by Greece and Turkey on behalf of their ethnic populations on the island. Renewed Turkish interest in the access and exploitation of natural gas reserves and other energy reserves around the island have bought the conflict into a new focus with the potential of further conflict occurring. Doug Becker spoke with Aristotle Tziampiris and Nukhet Sandal about the latest standoff.

Aristotle Tziampiris is a Professor of International Relations at the University of Piraeus. He is an expert in Greek history and diplomacy and is the author of Greece, European Political Cooperation and the Macedonian Question.

Nukhet Sandal is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Ohio University. She is an expert in international security and is the author of Religious Leaders and Conflict Transformation: Northern Ireland and Beyond.

Podcast:

 

This interview originally aired on the Scholars’ Circle. To access our archive of episodes and download this interview, click here.

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Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this discussion reflect the views of the guests and not necessarily the views of The Big Q. 

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